Group's goal is to increase awareness about kids with autism

Carson's Kindness Inc.'s mission is to give back to the Central Minnesota autism community with events such as the second annual "Skate with Carson" fundraiser and auction on April 27 in St. Cloud.

Carson's Kindness cofounder Sara Tschida and her son Carson Tschida discuss their use of "sensory booths" and helping others understand autism while speaking in a friend's home in Sartell on March 24.(Photo: Gustin Schumacher, gschumache@stcloudtimes.com)

Story Highlights

A mom of an autistic boy and a special education teacher promote autism awareness with fun events.

They support and raise funds with random acts of kindness and special events, such as ice skating.

The group also plans to put on a free picnic in June for families who have children with autism.

s a mother of an autistic first-grader, Sara Tschida knows better than most what it's like to have autism. But she wants others to know, too, through a group she co-founded.

Named after her 7-year-old son, Carson's Kindness Inc.'s mission is "to give back to the Central Minnesota autism community through random acts of kindness and special events."

"We just had friends and family ask us tons of questions like, 'What do we do? How do we interact with him? What should we tell our kids about him?' " she said of the group's genesis.

Tschida asked her boy's special education teacher, Nicole Haas of Sartell, to help educate others about autism, and that is how Carson's Kindness Inc. began.

"I have found that educating other children about autism creates compassion and understanding and acceptance," Haas said.

"Our kids who have autism have unique gifts, such as drawing, dancing, sculpting, music. They are our hidden treasures."

Carson's Kindness will host a fundraiser on April 27 at the St. Cloud Municipal Athletic Complex with free ice skate rentals and a silent auction as part of Autism Awareness Month.

Haas said last year's "Skate with Carson" event raised $5,000, and the money was used to buy books for local schools to educate children about autism.

"We are in the process of planning more family events for the upcoming year," said Tschida, a 30-year-old mother of two from Avon.

Joyce Salzer is a 57-year-old therapy dog handler from Cold Spring who works with Haas in the schools and at some Carson's Kindness events.

"Sometimes I find that we need another way to reach kids with special needs, and it's that unconditional love from a dog that they sometimes relate to in a totally different way than by teaching alone," Salzer said.

The trio also plans to put on a free picnic in June for families who have children with autism, so participants can network with each other and interact with Salzer's therapy dogs.

"I think autism is very scary until you understand what autism is, and when everybody understands, it's not so scary," Tschida said.

Haas said of the group's talent shows, field trips and classroom games, "The key thing is creating understanding, which helps build compassion."

Follow Frank Lee on Twitter @fclgannett.

If you go ...

What: Second annual "Skate with Carson" fundraiser and silent auction.